The African Union Commission Chairperson, Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, is anticipated to visit Sudan in the near future to hold high-level discussions regarding the lifting of the country’s continental suspension, according to Sudanese Foreign Minister Mohieddin Salim.
Speaking during a televised interview with the state-backed news agency SUNA, Foreign Minister Salim confirmed that he expects the AU chief to arrive shortly to initiate formal talks aimed at reinstating Sudan as an active member of the pan-African body.
Sudan’s membership in the African Union was frozen following a military takeover in October 2021 led by military chief General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. At the time, General Burhan characterized the intervention as a necessary “course correction” to stabilize the nation’s fragile political transition.
However, Khartoum has continuously pushed back against the punitive measure. During his interview, Salim levied sharp criticism against the charter governing the AU Peace and Security Council. He argued that flawed provisions within the founding framework enabled the suspension, noting that he had formally urged the council back in February to reverse the decision.
Despite the ongoing diplomatic chill with continental bodies, Salim highlighted that international recognition of Sudan’s strategic importance persists. He noted that during bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the recent United Nations General Assembly, European officials underscored Sudan’s indispensable role in resolving wider regional crises and addressing security challenges facing neighboring states.
Relations between Khartoum and Western capitals remain complex. Salim used the interview to urge the United States to reassess its foreign policy stance toward Sudan, criticizing what he described as overly slow engagement from Washington despite the existence of open channels for bilateral dialogue.
Diplomatic friction has notably escalated following the United States’ refusal to grant General Burhan a visa to attend the UN General Assembly sessions. Reports indicate that Washington allegedly conditioned the visa entry on Burhan agreeing to a three-month humanitarian truce, a demand that added further strain to bilateral relations.
In addition to criticizing U.S. policies, the Sudanese Foreign Minister took direct aim at the diplomatic Quint group—which comprises the United Nations, the African Union, the European Union, the regional bloc IGAD, and the Arab League. Salim accused the international collective of sidelining the legitimate Sudanese government from key meetings and remaining largely detached from the harsh realities on the ground. The Quint has historically sought to facilitate consultations among various domestic political groups and armed factions to pave the way for a political transition.
Addressing the ongoing internal conflict, Salim emphasized that Sudan remains fully open to peace initiatives, provided that any prospective solutions are determined independently by the Sudanese people rather than being imposed from the outside.
The minister reiterated the government’s strict prerequisites for ending the war, which include the complete disarmament of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the concentration of their fighters into designated assembly areas, and the immediate expulsion of foreign mercenaries. According to official claims, foreign fighters currently make up an estimated 60 percent of the RSF’s total ranks.
